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Katsuki liked to think he was a rather level-headed person.
Sure people said he had a gnarly temper- which was true… (That just made him more interesting, but anyways-)
But under pressure and life or death situations he prides himself in adapting quickly to his circumstances to find the most plausible and safest route to victory. Some might not like the way he goes with a “hands-on” approach when handling said problems, but hey if it gets the job done who are they to criticize his methods.
An explosion or two isn’t that bad, and of course he only uses it when necessary-
What he is trying to say is that he knows how to restrain himself when needed. High school has really chewed him up and spit him out, making him finally realize the weight of his words and actions and how to step down from that high horse his ass was kissing back then. He’s grown from his old bratty self and realized what really matters and when to choose your battles.
So yeah, he can be civil when he wants to be.
However there will always be things that test his restraint to his very core.
That ‘thing’ being Midoriya fucking Izuku.
Said fucker was currently in his own little world, sitting stupidly on one of the couches in the common room mumbling whatever nerd shit he has in his bushy head of his.
Katsuki himself was trying (and failing) to busy himself in the open kitchen, trying to act nonchalant as he watched the other from across the floor.
Deku had always found a way to rile him up. Back in middle school when he was a brat and they were distant, Katsuki found his very existence an enigma. He thought that the nerd was constantly looking down at him and sought to put him down at any chance he could get.
Now seeing that the nerd was doing anything but that, the blonde has been trying to make an effort to re-kindle that pure friendship that they had back when they were just kids. He’s been trying to be less brash with Izuku and actually be… civil.
Unfortunately that was not today.
The little shit…
Strong hands grip the marble of the kitchen countertop with a force that would make metal utensils bend. A low frequency growl that goes unnoticed by the other leaves Bakugou’s lips as he glares holes into the chopping board in front of him then to Midoriya’s head. Crimson eyes glare at the unassuming boy who continues on unaware at the inner turmoil his childhood friend is having.
‘Cute ass motherfucker…’
Yes, the brash Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, Bakugou Katsuki is struggling to keep his composure over the fact that he thinks Deku is cute.
His childhood friend whom he had bad rep with in the past who he as now made an effort to re-kindle with… and also whom he might have a tiny (large) crush on and believes is the fucking cutest person in the world.
He clicks his tongue at the rather embarrassing fact, taking the cutting board and a few carrots to busy himself. Going to the cupboard to retrieve a knife, the hero in training starts dicing the vegetables as his mind involuntarily wanders.
Izuku had always been a cute kid. As much as Bakugou hated to admit it, anyone could fall for those large big eyes. Many had said, back when they were in diapers and held hands all the time, that they were so round and expressive, something about them being ‘gates to his soul’ or whatever.
Maybe before he would call them creepy- but now…
Risking another glance, Katsuki is met with those said distracted sparkling eyes as he now watches the news of a new upcoming hero break the scene. In his lap, the usual hero notebook for the future already opened and turned to a rather blank page where there was already writing. Of course on his face an eager smile, happy to see a new hero and quirk in action.
That’s the thing with the nerd, seeing the good and potential in everything, even someone like him- who has been a part of most of the shitty aspects of his life till high school.
Huffing, he turns back to his now decimated carrots.
“Shit…”
He was too (enamored) busy watching Deku nerd out that he totally destroyed the carrots he was gonna use for his curry. Small tick marks appear at the mere idea that thinking about the source of his affections has reduced him to a lovesick idiot.
‘Fuck Deku and his stupid chubby face, looking so squishy and adorable with those four convenient freckles stamped on each cheek. Those wide ass green eyes, that seem to hold a whole universe in them- like literal stars and shit. That plump perky round as-’
“Kacchan?”
“THE FUCK??!-”
Somehow, during his internal curse session, Izuku had somehow traveled all the way from his spot on the couch and had actually situated himself literally right next to his person in the kitchen. The very eyes he was (dreaming) thinking about, were expectantly staring at him.
Startled and feeling quite exposed, Katsuki uncharacteristically flinches from the rather normal call. This in turn causes him to lose momentum on the subtle cutting rhythm he had. His grip on the knife he was holding loosened for a second, making him make a shallow cut on one of his fingers.
The subtle sting of the broken skin from being exposed to the open air makes Bakugou silently wince while clenching his teeth in mild annoyance. It wasn’t anything to bitch about, the cut was as big as a large papercut but it was still annoying to now think about disinfecting and bandaging up.
Swinging his head to the side, Katsuki gives his childhood friend the stink eye.
“Nerd! You don’t fucking creep up onto people when they are in the kitchen!”
“Sorry Kacchan! It’s just that it sounded like something bad happened and I thought you might need some help!”
“I don’t need your help-”
“Kacchan?!”
Izuku interrupts Katsuki’s denial with a gasp of that damn cutesy nickname, which just added more to Katsuki’s rather boneless irritation. Before he could spout out a round of curses in an attempt to wade Deku away, his hand with the small injury is gently taken by more rough and crooked fingers.
“You’re hurt!”
By now the cut has started bleeding out a bit, letting a few droplets of red stain his fingers and a few pieces of poor carrot that have been forgotten in the cross-fire. It was a small accident, but it is definitely enough to put an overthinker like Izuku in a small tizzy.
Too surprised by the sudden touch, the blonde stands stock still as Midoriya lightly manhandles his hand as if had a million fractures. He takes the now limp appendage into both of his scarred palms and lightly caresses the top with his thumbs in a soothing circular motion as if it would help ease the pain.
At the same time Midoriya, as he continues the massage, manages to conjure a tissue out of nowhere and starts to lightly dab the blood off Katsuki’s fingers.
Sharp eyes watch the other, morbidly content and a bit overwhelmed at the events that led to this moment. It felt nice, actually seeing Izuku for who he is rather than putting him under a curtain of doubt. He realized that Deku had always cared too much about the littlest of things and had always strived to find a solution to make things seem better, doing unneeded stunts like this that do nothing but make Katsuki’s heart admittedly skip a beat.
In another life, Katsuki maybe would still have his ego up his ass and deny any touch from the very person in front of him with fists and explosions. However, we’re here; and in this life, he clings onto any close affection they have… even if he is too embarrassed to admit it.
“Deku it’s just a small ass cut, we’ve literally gone through worse.”
A stubborn pout graces Midoriya’s features at the casual dismissal. “Still Kacchan, a cut is a cut- and plus! You can never be too careful!”
Another retort is ready on Katsuki’s lips, but it dies out the moment Deku takes his fingers close to his face, and fucking blows on them, as if he was blowing the sting away.
Gobsmacked, the blonde blue-screens as Deku’s cheeks puff up like a stupid ass chipmunk hoarding all its food and shit in its mouth. The pout from before has intensified with a subtle spark of determination as his chapped lips are puckered up making them so…
Kissable.
Green eyes catch the blank look on the other’s face and interpret the face as discomfort. Lifting his face from his previous spot, Izuku locks his goddamn pupils onto Katsuki’s own with such sincere concern-
“Does it hurt?"
Katsuki takes a deep breath.
‘Fuck this shit.’
The hero in training tenses his shoulders and hunches his form, as if he was readying an attack. Teeth grinding together, his mind comes to a final decision as he stares unfettering straight ahead. Of course his green companion, still fretting over the cut, fails to notice the sudden change of demeanor.
Izuku is in the middle of blowing another puff of air on the tiny cut, when he feels the hand he is holding go rigid before latching onto the bottom of his face with squeezing force.
“Wahcchan?!?! What are you-??!”
His question is promptly silenced by the man-handling of his face from Katsuki’s single hand as the blonde brings it closer to his own. Midoriya glances confusedly between the hand trapping him and Katsuki’s sharp eyes looking for answers.
Unfortunately all he is met with is silence and a scarily nonchalant face. Nothing happens for a few seconds but just unfiltered staring. With Midoriya growing more concerned by the second at the lack of response.
“K-Kacchan…?”
“...”
“Are you… ok?”
Still not making an effort to provide answers, Katsuki begins to tilt Izuku’s head from side to side in a surprisingly gentle manner before taking both of his hands and squishing and stretching them like they were pieces of dough. His prodding becomes more excessive by the second with each stretch and knead of Izuku’s dotted face. Even going as far to give a few hugs every now and again like he was a large teddy bear before releasing the hug in favor of going back to squishing and pinching.
“Ow- Oh okay- Kwacchannnnnnn~”
Deku’s complaints seem to go in one ear and out the next, and after a while the poor boy just accepts the sudden physical touch, slowly relaxing his posture. Bakugou grunts as he observes the nerd break out of his scaredy cat posture to lean into one of his hands that were currently poking one of his round cheeks.
Seeing the compliance, The blonde lets his hands wander towards emerald green locks, digging his non injured hand through the soft and fluffy curls. Izuku lets out a comfortable hum from the nice feeling, a small involuntary smile blooming on his face. Which Katsuki sees as he continues to gentle passive-aggressive touchy-feely movements.
He just huffs at the pleasant action before pulling Deku’s chin toward him with a strong tug, making the poor boy lose his balance. Wasting no time, Katsuki brings Izuku’s freckled cheek towards to his face and-
CHOMP
“AH!”
Finally released, Izuku immediately rubs at the cheek sporting a fresh bite mark. It didn’t hurt in the slightest, but it was a still bit of an abrupt action. Questions ready to spill out in a sea of mumbles, Deku turns to the perpetrator of it all to find Katsuki with a look that almost could be described as relieved glee.
“Heh… Thanks for that Deku…”
With that Bakugou trudges out of the kitchen with a small leisurely wave, a smug grin plastered on his lips as he gives Izuku a brief farewell. His carrots and plans for dinner forgotten, with his mind satisfiedly preoccupied with the impromptu cuddle session he did with the other.
“You’re welcome..?”
Tracing the small indents of where sharp canines were a second earlier, red begins to dust the younger’s face as he begins to overthink the meaning of the happy look and the rather interesting deed. He thinks back to the simple and gentle touches the blond did earlier and puts his hands over his face at how genuinely delightful they were to feel. The usual feeling of butterflies whenever Izuku thought about his childhood friend increase tenfold at the pure elated look he had after he let go of his face and said goodbye.
But why so suddenly? What did those touches even mean? What about his face from earlier- what did that mean? Unable to think of a plausible answer for it all, Izuku lets out a fond huff and a small wobbly smile as he caresses the bitten cheek.
“Kacchan can be so silly sometimes.”